What is a local connection?

Some housing developments require a local connection, depending on where and when the homes were built.

Local connection means a person within the household has a connection to a locality or parish. Generally speaking, this can be someone who has lived in an area for a period of time, or is working, usually 16 hours or more, in the area where the properties are located. It is also possible to have a local connection if a family member has a proven need to give or receive support from family members. This can be personal or physical care to enable the person to live independently within the community.

If a local connection is required this will be stated when the property is advertised by Home Point.

Latest Information

The latest information on Affordable Housing in the Parish is that another Affordable Housing Open Day and public consultation meeting was be held on the 8th July 2013 from 2.30pm to 6.30 pm in the Garway Village Hall. Details of this meeting are summarised in the minutes of the Parish Council meeting of the 22nd July. As requested at the meeting please see links to Home Point as follows:

An Affordable Housing Open Day and public consultation meeting was held on the 4th March 2013 from 2.30pm to 6.30pm at Garway Village Hall. The purpose of this meeting was to allow the community to review the proposed sites at Broad Oak and at Little Newlands and to consider a number of preliminary layouts for each site.

Rosemary Hooper Head of Development Two Rivers Housing,(see Two Rivers Housing Association website) Hayley Crane Housing Development Officer / Housing Needs and Development Team Herefordshire Council were in attendance.

People were invited to complete a Garway Local Connection Housing Questionnaire so that an up to date Housing Needs assessment could be prepared for presentation at a further consultation meeting and the Parish Council meeting on the 15th April 2013.

The first of the Parish Plan Action Plan Group meetings for the Planning and Development Group was held on Tuesday 25th January 2011 click here to see the draft minutes.

Another meeting was held on Thursday 31st March 2011 at 7.30pm in the Village hall when Haley Crane Housing Development Officer Herefordshire Council gave advice about a Housing Needs Survey, click here to see the draft minutes.

Practical Considerations

In accepting that an affordable housing scheme is required for the area, the Parish Council stated that they will only support a scheme that provides affordable homes for local people in perpetuity, and of a scale that is appropriate to meet the needs identified by the community through the Housing Needs Questionnaires.

Assessment of Housing Need

A Garway Housing Needs Questionnaire was developed, by the Herefordshire County Council Homes and Community Services Division in association with Garway Parish Council and agreed with Haley Crane and Hereford County Council. The Questionnaire was delivered to every household in the Parish at the beginning of November 2011 with a request that the completed Questionnaire be sent back to Hereford County Council by the beginning of December 2011. Click on the highlighted area for a full copy of the Questionnaire.

On the 23rd January 2012 a presentation of the results of the Housing Needs was given to the Parish Council and members of the community. It was noted that survey forms had been delivered to every household (in total 180 households) in the Parish. The survey found that a total of 13 households would need affordable accommodation in the next five years - 11households indicated that they wish to remain within Garway Parish; 2 households did not state that they wish to remain in the Parish. 1 additional household may have affordable need, but there is insufficient evidence to place them into this category with confidence.

The survey showed that a need exists for the provision of new affordable housing for the following reasons:-

the stated demand for such accommodation

the housing and financial circumstances of the respondents to the Survey

the lack of affordable homes in the Parish, and

the lack of vacancies occurring in the existing Housing Association stock.

Type of new affordable dwellings and mix of tenure required

The type of dwellings that would be required is 1,2, 3 and 4 bedroom houses, The tenure mix and number of dwellings will be developed by a Housing Association working in partnership with the Parish Council.

The Parish Council then set about identifying a suitable site or sites that would meet the requirements to build an affordable housing scheme. In the period between January and March discussions were held with a housing Association (Two Rivers), a planning officer from Herefordshire Council, and representatives of the Parish Council to consider what options (if any) existed.

A number of sites were identified and suggested as being acceptable (and the landowner is willing to sell). The Parish Council then arranged for a public exhibition, which was held in the village hall in March 2012 to seek the views of residents.

Following this meeting a Questionnaire and consultation letter were developed listing the sites and delivered to every household (a total of 186 households) in the Parish. Click on the following highlighted areas for a full copy of the Questionnaire and Consultation Letter.

The results of the Consultation letter and Questionnaire on the six potential development sites for Affordable Housing where presented at the Parish Council open meeting on Monday 21st May 2012. Please note that there was a 50% return on the survey. For details of the results of the survey please click here.

Latest Developments

At the Parish Council meeting on the 3rd September 2012 Ms Vicky Wright of Two Rivers Housing gave an update on consultation with owners of the preferred sites.

Ms Wright was waiting for a response from the various owners, however, Mr Francis (owner of sites 1 and 6) was at the meeting and advised the Council that he wished to take further advice before proceeding and would give an answer by the year end at the latest. Two Rivers would therefore continue to liaise between the landowners and Council.

As a result of this delay and because of the deadline on funding from Two Rivers Housing, the Parish Council decided to look for additional sites. A site at Broad Oak was offered to the Council in October and a visit from Herefordshire Senior Planning Officer and Senior Landscape Officer on the 19th October 2012 confirmed that a limited development of the site would be considered. The Planning Officer also stated that in his view the larger proportion of affordable housing within and on the edge of Garway should be the priority i.e. (Sites 1,2 and 3) since this is an eminently more sustainable location. The balance that cannot be accommodated could, in small numbers, potentially be accommodated in Broad Oak with the preference being on the church land and the parcel immediately next to it (Sites 2 and 3). See attached report Broad Oak Affordable Housing Location Assessment

At the Parish Council meeting on the 3rd December it was stated that no answer had been received from Mr Francis (site 1) and that the offer of land was still pending

Regarding the Broad Oak site, a second consultation was to be held, by Two Rivers Housing, with the owner before commencement of any preliminary layouts.

Because of the continued uncertainty about all the sites in Garway it was decided to approach Mr D Nicholls regarding land at Little Newlands on the Garway to Broad Oak road. Mr Nicholls confirmed his willingness to consider selling the site for Affordable Housing on the 5th December 2012.

At the Parish Council meeting on the 17th December 2012, Hayley Crane Housing Development Officer, Housing Needs and Development Team from Herefordshire Council and Rosemary Hooper from Two Rivers Housing both reported on the progress so far:

Sites 1 and 6, owned by Mr. John Francis, had been withdrawn and were “off the list”.

Site 2 owned by Mr. Morris behind the School has poor access and the owners of the land in front of the site were not prepared to consider access over their land

Site 5 owned by Mr. Barrell was still an option.

A further meeting with Herefordshire Planning was to be arranged to review all the remaining sites and to obtain their views on future options.

A site meeting was held on the 10th January 2013 with Herefordshire County Planning, Highways and Conservation Team when all the currently available sites (2,4,5, Little Newlands site and the Broad Oak site).

The Little Newlands site owned by Mr. Don Nicholls also presented a few potential issues however the Parish Council were very keen to support this site and the Broad Oak site.

At the Parish Council meeting on the 4th February 2013 Parish Council Resolved Unanimously to support the Little Newlands site and the Broad Oak site and a Affordable Housing Open Day and public consultation meeting was arranged to be held on the 4th March 2013 at 2.00pm at Garway Village Hall to review the sites.

Rosemary Hooper Head of Development Two Rivers Housing, Hayley Crane Housing Development Officer / Housing Needs and Development Team Herefordshire Council would be in attendance.

Contacts

If you wish to discuss this matter please contact the Chairman of the Parish Council, or Haley Crane the Herefordshire Homes and Communities - Housing Development Officer on 01432 261919 or email:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also visit Herefordshire Homes and Communities website at Herefordshire Homes and Communities or send an email to the Housing Needs and Development Team: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;